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May 2, 2011

G28: Red Sox 9, Angels 5

With Weaver (6-6-3-1-6, 118) out of the game, the Red Sox attacked the Angels pen, sending 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, knocking in six runs in a span of only seven pitches.

Boston led 3-2. With one out, Jason Varitek singled off Hisanori Takahashi and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled him to third. Mike Scioscia called on Francisco Rodriguez and after Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases, the Boston bats erupted. Adrian Gonzalez doubled to deep center, clearing the bases. Kevin Youkilis hit a first pitch double off the Wall to score Evil Bert, and after a passed ball moved Yook to third, David Ortiz cranked a two-run dong to left. Boston led 9-2.

The critical at-bat of the game happened in the bottom of the fifth. The Angels led 2-1, but Boston had Carl Crawford at third and Ellsbury at first, with two outs. Pedroia was facing Weaver:

In the next half-inning, Torii Hunter led off with a double. And when Alberto Callaspo hit a hard grounder to first, Gonzalez scooped it up and, without hesitation, fired a seed to third base. Youkilis put the tag on Hunter for the out.

It was a remarkable (and risky) play, but coming on the heels of Pedroia's 13-pitch at-bat (and, for that matter, yesterday's dramatic win), Gonzalez's fluid glove work and pinpoint throw across the diamond also exuded an air of supreme confidence, maybe even cockiness. ... And then it wasn't long before Gonzalez hit the biggest blow in the highest run-scoring inning of the season.

One post-game note: Ellsbury bruised the inside of his knee when he banged into catcher Jeff Mathis when he scored in the seventh.

Weaver has an ERA of 0.99 in six starts. In five of those six starts, he has allowed no runs or one run. Opponents are hitting .163/.216/.238 against him. Batters leading off an inning are 3-for-44, with two walks (.068/.128/.159).

Weaver and Dan Haren (who will face the Sox tomorrow night) are the first pair of teammates to finish April with four wins and an ERA under 1.25 since Atlanta's Phil Niekro and George Stone in 1969. Weaver was scratched from his start on Sunday, but if he had pitched and received credit for the win, he would have been the first pitcher since 1891 to have seven wins on or before the first day of May (Sadie McMahon went 9-0 in 1891 for the Baltimore Orioles (American Association)).

David Ortiz has great numbers against Weaver, but most of his damages was done in 2006-2008. Angels vs Buchholz here.

Each of Buchholz's five starts has been rough; he has allowed 34 hits and 16 walks (and six home runs) in only 27 innings (1.85 WHIP (only Bobby Jenks is worse) and a 5.33 ERA). However, Jason Varitek believes Buchholz is close to regaining his form. "He's just one click away from having that feel and different touches on the ball."

Boston swept four games from the Angels a little more than a week ago: 4-2, 4-3, 5-0, 7-0. Weaver did not pitch in that series.

147 comments:

Ellsbury has a 10-game hitting streak and Gonzalez an eight-game streak. ... Crawford has seven RBIs in his last seven games. ...

Josh Beckett threw about a 10-minute bullpen session (around 2:30). PeteAbe: "That Beckett threw in the bullpen isn't unusual. That Epstein and Francona were watching closely is. Beckett is obviously having some sort of physical issue and it seems to be related to his throwing 125 pitches in Anaheim on April 21. ... Beckett is now listed as the starter for Wednesday's game."

***

"... the Red Sox are readying the left field wall-sized U.S. flag for tonight's game. There will be some sort of ceremony in the wake of yesterday's historic news."

So it took 10 years, hundreds of billions of dollars, thousands of dead US troops, tens of thousands more damaged for life, close to 2,000,000 dead or displaced people in Afghanistan and Iraq to get one guy with a dialysis machine?

We were in DC last night, staying two blocks from the White House. We could hear the cheering, chanting, and horn blowing most of the night. It woke us up again at 2:00 and probably lasted until 3 or so. I understand the importance of the event, but celebrating any death is very, very strange.

"There's no evidence that OBL was ever a threat to the US in the first place, or that he had anything to do with 9/11."

But, but, the confession tape! The tape where that fat guy who looked nothing like Osama said some evil stuff. That proved it!

It's pretty pathetic how human psychology works. Our freedoms are now greatly compromised. We are in infinite debt, our future bleak. We have destroyed two countries, killed millions--all actions that had no direct relation to the Osama boogie man, even if one were naive enough to believe he "masterminded" 9/11.

But because everyone is in a fist-pumping, "U-S-A" chanting mood from this news story, it's like it somehow "justifies" all the atrocities done in the name of "freedom" over the last decade. "Hooray! Our own freedoms have been curtailed and our economy is destroyed! U-S-A! U-S-A!"

I swear, we could've spent the last 10 years sinking billions into mining the moon for blue cheese. And as long as it was done in the name of "freedom," the Osama news would still make people go, "See? All that moon-mining was worth it after all!"

Also, whenever the anouncer at the baseball games--like today's game, just now--introduces special days (which seem to happen every other game) dedicated to the troops, am I the only one reminded of a parent explaining to 5-year-old minds why they need to eat all their vegetables and do what they're told or else Santa won't come? "And now, please stand and pay tribute for those who conducted the military action that killed Osama. Because without them, these never-ending wars, and our political leaders, there would be no one to keep you safe from the terrorists that hide under your bed at night." No, they didn't use the phrase "under your bed" in today's game, but the rest of it was pretty close.

I didn't mean it as a directive, but understand how it was interpreted that way. I was typing my response to the importance of the event (depending upon your viewpoint of Al Qaeda's threat to the world) when we scored a run.

Having the game streamed on Apple TV instead of off the cable with EI, we miss all the commercials. A good thing in the long run, but I would like to see them once or twice. I don't know what commercial Amy is talking about.

The street celebrations for OBL's death are repulsive, even if spontaneous, but when celebrations are sanctioned and encouraged by businesses as part of creating a fullservice and profitable pander of spectacle, distraction, triumphalism, chauvinism, and self-righteousness, then it's fucking disgusting.